Skylum / skylum.com
AI-powered photo editing software from Skylum that provides one-click AI sky replacement, portrait enhancement, object removal, and subject isolation with a simpler interface than Adobe Photoshop.
Pricing
$9.95/mo
Free plan
No
Category
Design
Platforms
2
Free plan
No
API access
No
Open source
No
Platforms
2
Luminar Neo is an AI-powered photo editing application from Skylum that provides professional photo editing results through AI-powered tools with a simpler learning curve than Adobe Photoshop. It is particularly popular among photographers who want AI-automated editing rather than manual precision control.
The AI Sky Replacement detects the sky in any photo and replaces it with a different sky image, automatically adjusting the scene's lighting, reflections, and colour temperature to match the new sky realistically. This was Luminar's breakthrough feature and remains one of the most polished implementations of this technique.
Portrait AI enhances facial features, smooths skin, adjusts lighting on faces, and improves eye clarity automatically, calibrated for realistic rather than over-processed results. Background removal isolates subjects cleanly using AI segmentation. The AI Structure enhancement intelligently adds micro-contrast detail to different parts of the image — sky, foliage, architecture — without oversharpening.
At $9.95/month for Explore, Luminar Neo is more affordable than Adobe Photoshop plus Lightroom subscriptions for photographers who primarily want AI-driven editing results rather than professional compositing capability.
Luminar Neo AI runs as image processing ai software built around image workflows. Users typically start with a prompt, upload, or connected data source, and the underlying model handles the heavy lifting before returning a result you can refine or export. It's available on windows and mac.
The capabilities that matter most for teams evaluating Luminar Neo AI.
Detects sky in any photo and replaces it with a chosen sky image, automatically adjusting scene lighting, colour, and reflections to match realistically.
Enhances facial features, smooths skin, adjusts face lighting, and improves eye clarity automatically calibrated for natural rather than over-processed results.
Intelligently adds micro-contrast detail to different image regions — sky, foliage, architecture — without oversharpening or introducing artefacts.
Explore plan $9.95/month. Professional $14.95/month. Lifetime purchase also available. 7-day free trial.
Model
Subscription
Starting price
$9.95/mo
Free trial
Yes
Adobe Photoshop with Firefly is the professional standard for precise editing. Topaz Photo AI specialises in upscaling, sharpening, and denoising. ON1 Photo RAW AI is a direct competitor. Lightroom has AI masking and editing features within the Adobe ecosystem.
A side-by-side look at the closest alternative in this category.
Key facts about model providers, platforms, and team support.
Model Provider
Skylum
Platforms
Windows, Mac
Deployment
SaaS, Desktop app
Integrations
Lightroom, Photoshop (plugin), Apple Photos
Team Collaboration
No
Launch Year
2021
Compliance signals and data-handling notes as reported by the vendor.
Review Skylum's data handling policy. Images processed locally on device for most features. Cloud-based processing for some AI features.
Review Skylum's privacy policy. Most processing is local. Cloud-based AI features send image data to Skylum's servers.
Editorial Verdict
Luminar Neo is the best AI photo editing software for photographers who want AI-automated creative editing including sky replacement and portrait enhancement without Adobe Photoshop's complexity.
Last verified July 24, 2026.
Explore plan $9.95/month. Professional $14.95/month. Lifetime purchase also available. 7-day free trial.
Free Lightroom with 5GB storage. Photography plan $9.99/month (20GB, Lightroom + Photoshop). Creative Cloud subscription includes full access. Enterprise pricing available.
Review Skylum's data handling policy. Images processed locally on device for most features. Cloud-based processing for some AI features.
Adobe Creative Cloud security standards apply. Photos stored in Adobe Creative Cloud. GDPR compliant.
Review Skylum's privacy policy. Most processing is local. Cloud-based AI features send image data to Skylum's servers.
Photos stored in Adobe Creative Cloud are subject to Adobe's data handling policy. Review before storing sensitive client images in cloud sync.
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